Gus Atkinson hit a superb hat-trick as England took command of the second Test against New Zealand, knocking the home side’s tail in style.
The Surrey seamer removed Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee in three successive deliveries, just the 15th time an England bowler has achieved the feat in Test cricket.
Atkinson converted the Black Caps in his ninth over, picking three different dismissals to end their innings on 125 and give the tourists a 155 lead.
Atkinson finished with 4-31 from 8.5 overs
The 26-year-old uprooted Smith’s middle stump with the third ball over it and then got Henry to run away from a short ball that he drove to Ben Duckett at gully.
Last man Tim Southee stood between Atkinson and a place in the history books, but he had no answer as the ball came full and straight, smashing his front pad dead in front of middle stump.
Southee reviewed the lbw decision in hope more than expectation, but England’s celebrations had already begun. Rod Tucker raised his finger for a second time to seal the deal, with Atkinson recording his 50th Test hat-trick in world cricket – 47 in the men’s game and three in the women’s.
The last player to take one was South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in 2021, with Moeen Ali the most recent to do so for England, against the Proteas at the Oval in 2017.
Stuart Broad took two in his career, making Atkinson the 14th England player on the list. Matthew Hoggard and Ryan Sidebottom are the only two other England players this century to claim Test hat-tricks.
